'Never join us': netizens tease college freshmen

BEIJING -- Chinese netizens, never lacking in self-mockery, have found a new way to greet would-be freshmen who are busy filing college applications.

"Never join our university because you will find that we have air conditioning in the morgue but not in the dorms, which is beyond imagination," said Weibo user "guiyizhangchudashao" from Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Special: College candidates face ultimate test

As many universities try to project their best image in this round of "students rush," comments from insiders provide a different view from the usual official promotion brochures.

"Never join our university because the campus is like a zoo: we have seen not only cats and dogs, but also deer, peacocks and owls!" said one netizen identified as a student from Southwest Jiaotong University.

Majors are also a topic of this wave of online self-deprecation. "Never join the major of archaeology because nobody understands what you are learning," said a placard held by a young lady in an online photo.

Other netizens followed her example by wearing written placards reading "never join the English major because too many girls here render you little chance of finding Prince Charming" or "never join the major of preschool education because you will become mentally and physically exhausted taking care of children."

Some also joked that their majors do not live up to the impression their names give. "Our work has nothing to do with 'international,' 'trade,' nor 'international trade,'" said another placard.

Most freshmen said they never consider such "advice" very seriously.

"When making decisions, I think it is more important for us to follow our own hearts and choose what we really like," said He Li, a high school graduate from Hebei Province.

Zheng Tingxuan from Shanghai, who has applied for Jilin University, said he cares more about college academic quality rather than the conditions of dormitories or the cafeteria.

However, some have been influenced by others' opinions. Wu Chengjie, the top scorer in science in the national college entrance exam for Jiangsu Province, has changed his mind on his subject of study.

"All the reporters that have interviewed me advised me not to choose journalism, so now I am considering finance," said Wu.

According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), 9.39 million applied for this year's national college entrance exam, and another 7.27 million university graduates will enter the job market in 2014. The prospect of landing a good job has become a main consideration in college applications and choosing a major.

Chengdu police: Come and join us!	Fascinating ways Chinese universities charm applicants